Work it out: Career advice from co-founder of The New Craftsmen, Natalie Melton

How a passion for craft became a career

May 3, 2017

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Each week, we interview a successful woman to find out how she made it to the top, and get tips on maintaining a successful work-life balance. This week, we meet Natalie Melton, co-founder and managing director, The New Craftsmen.

1. Describe your company and role.

I am the co-founder and managing director of The New Craftsmen, a platform to champion and sell the work of exceptional craftspeople. We represent more than 100 makers and have a changing showcase of work in our Mayfair store, online and through high-profile collaborations.

2. Describe your career path.

I have always had a bit of an entrepreneurial streak but have done a variety of things, primarily driven by my interests, rather than a desire to follow a conventional career. Along the way I have picked up skills in marketing, PR, event management and design, and have coupled those with a pretty ferocious work ethic. My passion for craft began about 10 years ago, when I was involved in setting up a mentoring programme for makers and fell in love with their quiet dedication to skill and materiality. I met my co-founders, Mark Henderson and Catherine Lock, along the way and, at some point, we all felt that it might be a good idea to launch a business that sold their work. That was five years ago and it has been non-stop ever since.

3. What has been the most positive surprise to you in your career?

That arming yourself with the right attitude and a toolkit of skills will enable you to explore lots of different worlds. As a young person I never quite knew what I wanted to do, and used to worry terribly about that, but we now live in a world where you can have many jobs in many fields and no one judges you for it. I'm passionate about ensuring that we equip young people with this kind of flexibility. I volunteer for Speakers for Schools, a brilliant organisation that encourages people from all different walks of life to share their experiences with children.

4. What has been the biggest challenge and how did you overcome it?

I don't think there is any bigger challenge than how to develop a work/life balance – it's always a see-saw where you are clinging on in the hope that you don't fall off. You want to be a good and committed leader in your business, a fully engaged mother, and occasionally a good friend (not to mention daughter, sister and grand-daughter), but it's hard. At the moment, I'm finding that carving out time to do some exercise – even if it's just 15 minutes of daily yoga – is helping me to maintain focus and keep my stress levels down.

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5. What is the most rewarding aspect of what you do?

The thrill of selling a great piece of work and knowing that it will bring huge joy and satisfaction to the purchaser. It's always fantastic when you take on a new talent and sell that first piece for them as well.

6. What skill do you think has been most critical to your success?

Our business is fundamentally about objects with beautiful and unique stories – so I would say that good communication skills have been critical.

7. What's changing in your industry that excites you?

Time, experience, provenance and sustainability are all becoming the new markers of luxury, and our business is founded on these ideals. People are coming to us to buy objects that stand the test of time and are imbued with meaning. It's wonderful to see this shift starting to gather pace.

8. What advice would you give to someone just coming in to your industry now?

We always talk to our makers about how important it is to develop a distinctive voice and stay true to that. You have to find a way of forging an identity that helps people understand what you stand for – and avoid copying anyone else. Individuality is so important.

9. What would you like someone to invent to make your life easier?

I don't need a new invention but I'm pretty sure that a good old-fashioned housekeeper would improve my life no end.

10. Do you have a mentor or someone who has inspired you?

Yes – my former boss, Colin Tweedy. It was his passion for craft and makers that introduced me to this world. He has an exceptional eye and a rich cultural knowledge that spans centuries and continents. His delight at what I am doing now means the world to me.

e) …accessory for work?

My MacBook goes everywhere with me, along with a good notebook and fountain pen – I'm an obsessive list-maker.

f) …tech product?

Spotify: a revolutionary business, executed brilliantly.

g) …restaurant?

I spent Christmas in a little fishing village in Cuba. There was a shack on the rocks that served one dish – fresh fish and salad – on paper plates. We would come off the beach and eat there while the sun set; it was perfection. I love eating out and trying new restaurants, but the simplicity and beauty of that was hard to beat.

h) …service you can't live without?

We all like to moan about it, but without our integrated transport network in London – the combination of tubes, trains, buses and bikes – life would be way more complicated than it already is.

To find out more about The New Craftsmen, visit the store at 34 North Row, London W1, or the website.